Despite having been unable to match the favourites at the Volta a Catalunya, Fabio Aru of Astana said he ended the race on a high and was beginning to find form.

“I'm getting better and better form, even if I'm lacking a little bit of top-end speed because I've had nearly a month away from racing,” he told Cyclingnews, referring his last race at the Volta ao Algarve, where he finished ninth - "but this race help me gain my top condition. The next race after this will be the Vuelta al País Vasco, a week away and I'm hoping to get a good result there."

Despite finishing 14th after sixth last year, that can perhaps be out down to the fact that in 2015, he was aiming for the Giro while in 2016, his big goal is the Tour.